Alcohol: Repeat Offenders

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What role alcohol plays in high-volume repeat offending; and whether the priority given to alcohol problems in the Prison Service is satisfactory.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Research has not examined the link specifically between high-volume repeat offending and alcohol consumption. The National Offender Management Service has developed a comprehensive alcohol strategy for prisoners. Detoxification is available on reception in all local and remand prisons. Some prisons run alcohol awareness courses and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) run groups in around 50 per cent. of prisons. Additionally, general offending behaviour programmes address the underlying causal factors, which occur in alcohol-related crime.

Allotments: South Yorkshire

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much land was available for allotments in south Yorkshire, particularly in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley, in each of the past five years; and how much has been released over that time for agricultural or building purposes and planning and development.

Baroness Andrews: The Government do not collect information on the availability of allotment land on an annual basis. However, information on the number of statutory allotments was last collected as part of The English Allotment Survey 1997. This recorded a total of 374 hectares of statutory allotments in south Yorkshire. In the past five years approval has been given for the disposal of sites totalling 10 hectares in south Yorkshire.

Autism: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Rooker on 8 June 2005 (WA 90), 14 June 2005 (WA 119) and 30 June 2005 (WA 43), whether education and library boards in Northern Ireland have put in place multidisciplinary diagnostic and assessment teams to diagnose children with autism spectrum disorder; and what added financial support has been made available to each board for this purpose in the past six months.

Lord Rooker: The education and library boards (ELBs) have a statutory responsibility to identify and assess special educational needs. Responsibility for providing multidisciplinary assessment and diagnostic teams for children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) rests with the health and social services trusts (HSSTs). Educational psychologists and other educational professionals from the ELBs, however, contribute to the work of the HSSTs' diagnostic teams. No additional funding has been made available to each ELB specifically for this purpose in the past six months but funding of approximately £550k per annum has been provided since 2003–04 to establish a five board structure for a comprehensive ASD support programme.

Autism: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to introduce specific autism awareness training for classroom assistants in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: In Northern Ireland, training for classroom assistants assigned to pupils with special educational needs is the responsibility of the education and library boards. All five education and library boards currently provide specific autism awareness training for schools and classroom assistants.

British Citizenship: Hong Kong and India

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 31 January (WA 24) on British Citizenship: Hong Kong and India, whether they will place in the Library of the House the text of the previous statements of the Indian Government confirming that (a) the provisions of Section 9(1) of India's Citizenship Act 1955 do not apply to minors; and (b) an Indian citizen minor who lawfully acquired British nationality by registration does not cease to be a citizen of India; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the Indian Minister of Home Affairs' answer to the Lok Sabha, dated 20 December 2005.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: As the noble Lord is aware, we sent a Note Verbale to the Indian authorities on 20 April 2005 seeking clarification of Indian citizenship laws. They have now responded and a copy of the reply has been placed in the Library of the House. The reply will necessitate certain changes to our policy. My honourable friend the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality has written to the noble Lord explaining how we will publicise these changes and the steps we will take to implement them. A copy of the reply given in the Lok Sabha has also been placed in the Library of the House.

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Baroness Hilton of Eggardon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the anticipated cost savings from the proposed closure of four of the research establishments at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has published a business plan for the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) for consultation, containing its proposals for putting the finances of CEH on to a sustainable basis. I have asked the chief executive of NERC to write to the noble Baroness about these proposals.

Civil Service: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any of the Northern Ireland departments have proposals to relocate civil service jobs from the west of Northern Ireland to Belfast in the next few years.

Lord Rooker: At present, the water service in the Department for Regional Development has two projects (i.e. accounts payable, and customer billing and contact) for which it proposes to move small numbers of posts from the west of Northern Ireland to Belfast. The precise numbers involved have not yet been determined but should not exceed 12 posts.*
	*For the purpose of this reply, the west of Northern Ireland has been defined as the district council areas of Armagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Derry, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Limavady, Magherafelt, Omagh and Strabane.

Company Law: Operating and Financial Review

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they abolished the operating and financial review reporting requirements for United Kingdom quoted companies.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my honourable friend the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions in the other place on 1 February 2006 (Official Report, col. 550W).

Energy: Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which Ministers represented the United Kingdom at ministerial-level meetings of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum; and when the next such ministerial-level meeting will take place.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: To date there has been no UK ministerial representation at the two ministerial-level meetings of the CSLF. These have been covered by officials from the DTI. The date of the next ministerial-level meeting of the CSLF has not been decided.

Energy: Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who, if any, are the United Kingdom members of (a) the policy group, and (b) the technical group of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum; and which, if any, are (i) nominees of the United Kingdom Government, and (ii) nominees of other United Kingdom bodies.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Official UK representatives on the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum are as follows:
	government officials represent the UK on the policy group; they are: Brian Morris, DTI, head of the carbon abatement technologies unit; Jim Penman, DEFRA, Global Atmosphere Division; and
	industry represents the UK on the technical group, they are:
	Nick Otter OBE, Alstom Power plc, director of technology and external relations, Philip Sharman, PERA, consultant and adviser on carbon capture, hydrogen and fuel cells.

Energy: Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What support, financial or otherwise, they give the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: There is no formal requirement for participating states in the CSLF to provide financial or other support for the forum. The USA's Department of Energy provides secretariat resources at its own expense.

EU: Budget

Lord Lawson of Blaby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the United Kingdom will contribute to the European Union budget for each financial year from 2007 to 2013; and by what amount each annual contribution will increase as a consequence of the reduction in the United Kingdom rebate reported to the House by the Lord President (Baroness Amos) on 19 December 2005 (Official Report, col. 1569).

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Based on the European Commission's forecasts and assumptions, and using the financial perspective table agreed on 17 December 2005, Treasury estimates for the UK's gross contribution to the EC budget, the abatement, UK receipts and the UK net contribution to the EC budget are:
	
		£bn, 2004 prices payments
		
			  Gross contribution before abatement Abatement Receipts Net contribution 
			 2007 -14.2 3.9 5.6 -4.7 
			 2008 -14.6 4.6/4.7 5.2 -4.6/-4.7 
			 2009 -13.7 4.8/4.9 4.2 -4.6/-4.7 
			 2010 -14.4 3.8/3.9 4.6 -6.0/-6.1 
			 2011–13 -14.1/-14.5 3.5/4.1 4.2 -6.0/-6.8

EU: Budget

Lord Lawson of Blaby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much each member state will receive from the European Union budget for each financial year from 2007 to 2013; and by what amount the funding received by each member state will increase as a consequence of the reduction in the United Kingdom rebate reported to the House by the Lord President on 19 December 2005 (Official Report, col. 1569).

Lord McKenzie of Luton: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to Lord Stevens of Ludgate on 2 February (Official Report, col. WA 67).
	Changes to the abatement affect only the relative size of member states' contributions to the EC budget. They have no impact on the level or distribution of expenditure.

EU: Budget

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 25 January (WA 169), why they declined to provide information regarding the financial contributions of member states to the European Union budget over the period 2007–13 when information regarding which member state was the largest recipient of funding was provided.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: It is not government practice to publish exact forecasts of the contributions and receipts of other member states, as this could prejudice the UK's relations with these states. This is a matter for their respective governments. The Government do, however, publish qualitative indications of member states' contributions and receipts where such information is widely available.

Flags: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking in Northern Ireland to implement the Chancellor of the Exchequer's comments about flying the Union flag in every garden; and
	Whether they have begun consultations with Sinn Fein in respect of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's comments about flying the Union flag in every garden; and when similar consultations will follow with other Northern Ireland parties.

Lord Rooker: The actual text of the Chancellor's speech given on 14 January 2006 shows that he was making the point that it is the values we share and the principles by which we operate which are capable of uniting us. His emphasis on ensuring that the Union flag stands for tolerance and inclusion is equally relevant in Northern Ireland.

Functional Foods

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their working definition of functional food; and
	Whether current definitions of functional foods used by national and international food organisations conflict; and
	What assessment they have made of the potential for functional foods to replace naturally healthy foods in people's diets; and whether replacement would create barriers to encouraging healthy diets and achieving five-a-day targets; and
	What steps they will take to ensure that functional foods are available to those who can least afford but most need them; and
	Why there is currently no specific legislation in the United Kingdom covering functional foods.

Lord Warner: The Government currently do not define functional foods, in law or otherwise, nor perceive a need to do so. There are specific and general rules on foods, including food supplements, and there is proposed legislation at European Union level on nutrition and health claims made on food and on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods.
	Government advice is that most people can obtain all the nutrients they need by eating a varied and balanced diet. The Food Standards Agency provides information on a balanced diet, including via its websites, to help people make healthier choices on an informed basis. The Government have not entered into any debate on the concept of "functional food", which is not used for legislative purposes in the United Kingdom or the EU, and are therefore unaware of any conflicts in definitions. We assess consumption of all foods in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey programme and use this assessment to inform nutrition policy, including healthy eating and the five-a-day campaign.

Identity Cards

Lord Selsdon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For which countries an identity card suffices to permit entry into the United Kingdom without the requirement for a valid passport; which card permits such entry where a country has more than one identity card; and what information is contained on each such card.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Under Community law the UK is required to admit nationals from other member states and from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland on production of an ID card or passport. We are not aware of any of these countries issuing more than one type of ID card which is valid for travel. The format and content of the cards is a matter for the states concerned. They all, however, include the name of the holder of the card, his or her nationality and a photograph.

Immigration: IND Website

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to ensure that users are able to access the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website at all times, in particular during working hours.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: A significant amount of work is currently being undertaken to improve the service of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website. The Home Office has approved the purchase of a new hardware platform and the implementation of a new site-management tool. The roll-out of these technical solutions will noticeably improve the performance rate of the website. This is scheduled for completion by the 15 April 2006.

InterTradeIreland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the community breakdown of employees of InterTradeIreland working in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: At 1 February 2006, InterTradeIreland employed 39 permanent staff, all of whom are headquartered in Northern Ireland. The community breakdown of employees at this date was 32 Catholic, six Protestant and one non-determined.

InterTradeIreland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What policy initiatives InterTradeIreland has taken since October 2002; and whether each was agreed through the North/South Ministerial Council.

Lord Rooker: All the policy initiatives and programmes proposed by InterTradeIreland since 2002 are set out in the body's corporate plans 2002–04 and 2005–07 and have been agreed by the North/South Ministerial Council, acting since October 2002 under interim procedures. Copies of the body's corporate plans are available on the InterTradeIreland website at www.intertradeireland.com.

IRA

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider that the Irish Republican Army is still in existence.

Lord Rooker: It is the job of the Independent Monitoring Commission to comment on these issues and to consider whether PIRA has met the commitments it had made to end all activity.

Irish Language Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether proposals have been agreed to relocate the headquarters of the Irish Language Agency to Donegal; if so, when the move will take place; how many staff are involved; and what the cost of the move will be.

Lord Rooker: No proposals have been agreed by the Irish and British Governments.

National School of Government

Lord Norton of Louth: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What training courses for Ministers are provided by the National School of Government; and which Ministers have received such training since the inception of the school.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The National School of Government provides training and briefing sessions for Ministers. Recent sessions have dealt with a range of topics including Bills and Parliament, financial and risk management, Select Committees and working with Private Office. In addition the National School of Government offers an induction seminar for new Ministers.

NHS: Primary Care Trusts

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it remains their policy to direct primary care trusts to invest in primary care services.

Lord Warner: Primary care trusts (PCTs) will continue to be responsible for commissioning high-quality primary care services for patients. We published a White Paper—Cm 6737, Our health, our care, our say—on 30 January which indicates the role of PCTs in tackling a new agenda for community services. Copies are available in the Library.

North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to allow cross-border implementation bodies to commit funds from one financial year to the next.

Lord Rooker: The arrangements in respect of north/south implementation bodies for managing funding allocations between financial years are similar to those for other public bodies and provide flexibility to manage slippage in approved capital projects but require that any unused current expenditure allocations be returned for reallocation by Ministers. Where a body requires additional funding in any year, arising either from underspends in a previous year or any other reason, this must be reflected in the relevant business plan and submitted to the relevant sponsor department for consideration as part of the normal budgetary process.

Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any plans to reintroduce an alternative to the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill to facilitate on-the-run terrorists.

Lord Rooker: The Government are of the view that the position of those suspected but not yet convicted of terrorism-related offences committed during the Troubles will need at some stage to be faced as part of the process of moving away from Northern Ireland's violent past. Ministers intend to reflect carefully over the coming months on how to move forward on this issue.

Northern Ireland: Education Minister

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many days the Northern Ireland Education Minister spent in Northern Ireland from 1 January to 31 December 2005.

Lord Rooker: From 1 January to 31 December 2005 two Education Ministers served in Northern Ireland. Barry Gardiner served from January until the general election in May 2005 and, in that period, spent a total of 39 days in Northern Ireland. Angela Smith was appointed following the general election and, in the period ending 31 December 2005, spent a total of 82 days in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland: Activist Security

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have issued (a) personal protection weapons, or (b) home security equipment over the past eight years to (i) republican activists; and (ii) loyalist activists; if so, how many of each; and at what cost.

Lord Rooker: Applications for physical home security measures and personal protection weapons are considered on an individual basis in the context of the applicant's specific circumstances and established criteria. Such applications are not classified using the terms "loyalist" or "republican". I will write to the noble Lord separately outlining the criteria referred to.

Northern Ireland: Chinese Mandarin

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people in Northern Ireland are estimated to speak Chinese Mandarin.

Lord Rooker: Information on numbers of Chinese Mandarin speakers is not held centrally. Research funded by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, published in 2003, estimates that there are around 8,000 people in Northern Ireland of Chinese origin with Mandarin spoken by around 10 per cent of the community.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 11 January (WA 67) concerning the funding of festivals in 2004 and 2005, on what dates the organisations concerned supplied all the information required to the relevant Northern Ireland departments in order that the funding could be paid.

Lord Rooker: The table below provides information in relation to 2004 and 2005 for the West Belfast, New Lodge and Ardoyne festivals.
	
		
			 Name of Festival Dates information suppliedto DSD (fully completedclaim for payment form andsupporting documentation) Dates fullinformationsupplied toDCAL 
			 West Belfast 30/07/04, 11/08/04, 11/10/04 14/07/04 
			 Greater New Lodge 30/07/04, 07/10/04, 26/10/04 06/07/04 
			 Ardoyne Fleadh 30/07/04, 25/10/04, 21/01/05, 13/05/05 06/07/04 
		
	
	
		Financial Year 2005/06:
		
			 Name of Festival Dates information supplied toDSD (fully completed claimfor payment form andsupporting documentation) Dates fullinformationsupplied toDCAL 
			 West Belfast 29/07/05, 15/09/05, 10/10/05* DCAL is awaiting further information from Feile an Phobail 
			 Greater New Lodge 04/08/05, 17/11/05 24/07/05 
			 Ardoyne Fleadh 03/08/05, 05/09/05, 20/09/05 28/07/05 
		
	
	(*) A further claim is currently being processed.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 11 January (WA 67) concerning the funding of festivals, how much funding has been paid to Féile an Phobail; by whom; for what purpose; and when.

Lord Rooker: Details of funding paid to Féile an Phobail for the West Belfast Festival are shown in the table below in relation to the financial years 2004–05 and 2005–06.
	
		
			 FinancialYear Amount offunding paid Source offunding Purpose offunding When paid 
			 2004–05 £102,720.95 Department for Social Development Staff costs, programme costs and artist fees 06–08–04, 
			 13–08–04, 
			 19–10–04 (payment dates) 
			  £20,000.00 Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (through the Northern Ireland Events Company) Part deliver festival 21–07–04 (funding awarded) 
			 2005–06 £106,232.48 Department for Social Development Staff costs, programme costs, press advertising and artist fees. 01–08–05, 
			 20–09–05, 
			 11–10–05* (payment dates) 
			  N/A Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure N/A No letter of offer issued to date 
		
	
	(*) A further claim is currently being processed.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they can pay funding to the West Belfast Irish Festival for 2005 if a letter of offer had not been forwarded to the organisation before the event took place.

Lord Rooker: Yes. Provided that the organisers of the festival supply the additional information requested to the department's satisfaction, retrospective funding can be provided on the basis of eligible receipted actual expenditure.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 115) concerning funding for the West Belfast Nationalist Festival, what was the decision which the economists supported; how the decision was expressed concerning the agreement to fund the festival; and whether they will place a copy of the decision in the Library of the House.

Lord Rooker: Economists from the Department for Social Development supported the preferred option determined by the economic appraisal to award funding of £125,197 towards the staging of the West Belfast Festival. The decision from the department's economists was expressed via e-mail. A copy of the decision will be placed in the Library of the House.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 116), why the Department for Social Development has not paid the grant of £34,150 to the Maiden City Festival held in August 2005; and when it proposes to make the payment.

Lord Rooker: Although funding was awarded to the Maiden City Festival in July 2005, the organisation subsequently requested in October 2005 that the project be revised. This process was completed on 20 December 2005. A payment of £34,150 was authorised on 24 January 2006 and is currently being processed. This payment should be in the Maiden City Festival's bank account within 10 working days; that is, by 7 February 2006.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 116), who were the recipients of the grant of £58,905 paid to the Ardoyne Nationalist Festival in August 2005 by the Department for Social Development.

Lord Rooker: The recipient of the grant of £58,905 was the Ardoyne Fleadh.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 116), who were the recipients of the grants of £102,720.95, £60,080 and £29,160 paid to nationalist festivals in 2004 respectively in West Belfast, Ardoyne and New Lodge.

Lord Rooker: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Grant Amount Recipient 
			 £102,720.95 Feile an Phobail 
			 £60,080 Ardoyne Fleadh 
			 £29,160 Greater Festival New Lodge Community

Northern Ireland: Grants and Resources

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any proposals for building capacity in the Protestant community in Northern Ireland to allow that community the same access to grants and resources as the Roman Catholic community.

Lord Rooker: The Government will announce plans aimed at tackling disadvantage in Northern Ireland (with a particular emphasis on working-class Protestant communities) in March of this year. The announcement will focus on ways of making government money work harder by refocusing existing policies, programmes and services to better serve the needs of disadvantaged communities in Northern Ireland. A number of key areas for action have been identified, including community capacity building.
	Plans will be informed by the outcomes of both the government-appointed task force to look at the particular social and economic challenges faced by Protestant working-class communities and by David Hanson's personal programme of engagement with civic and elected representatives of Protestant communities. Both communities have the same access to government grants and resources.

Northern Ireland National Stadium

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether their plans for a national stadium for Northern Ireland to be situated at the former Maze prison include any memorial to Irish Republican Army activity.

Lord Rooker: No.

Northern Ireland: On-the-Runs

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 25 January (WA 181), to what extent their document entitled Proposals in Relation to On the Runs, published in May 2003, reflects Sinn Fein's stated position on the subject at that time.

Lord Rooker: I am able to speak only for Her Majesty's Government. I would refer the noble Lord, Lord Maginnis, to my Answer of 25 January (WA 181).

Northern Ireland: On-the-Runs

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 113) and 25 January (WA 181), whether they will state (a) what they understood to be Sinn Fein's position relating to on-the-run terrorists during the negotiations at Weston Park in 2001; (b) whether they now hold that Sinn Fein's stated position at that time has changed; and (c) how they can define "anomaly" if they are unable to quantify "the outstanding issue".

Lord Rooker: The Government understood at Weston Park that Sinn Fein sought the resolution of the position of those people against whom there were outstanding prosecutions for relevant offences committed before the Belfast agreement and who would, if convicted, benefit from the early release scheme under the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998. The Government believe that Sinn Fein still seeks the resolution of this issue. The Government recognise that the position of such people may be considered anomalous, regardless of exactly how many individuals are in such a position.

Police: Reorganisation

Lord Naseby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What will be the governance structure of the proposed new amalgamated police forces.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We continue to see a vital role for police authorities in setting policing priorities for the force and holding the chief officer to account for the delivery of an efficient, effective and responsive policing service to local communities and we have included provisions in the Police and Justice Bill to set out these responsibilities.
	Below the strategic force level, we have recently published the results of our review of the partnership arrangements set out in the Crime and Disorder Act and propose to strengthen the effectiveness of crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs) including by ensuring that elected local authority members responsible for community safety issues play a full part in setting community safety priorities. CDRPs will be subject to periodic scrutiny, by local authority scrutiny committees, and inspection, by the new Inspectorate for Justice, Community Safety and Custody. We also propose that basic command unit (BCU) commanders and local authority chief executives hold regular public briefing sessions to respond to issues raised by local communities. The Police and Justice Bill will establish the community call for action to trigger intervention by the local authority scrutiny committee if community safety issues have not been adequately addressed by the police or their partners. Taken together, these measures amount to a significant enhancement of the accountability arrangements at BCU and CDRP level.

Police: Reorganisation

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the European Union institutions have had any input into the Government's proposals for regional police forces.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: No. It is for the United Kingdom Government to decide how best to restructure the police forces in England and Wales.

Prisons: Drug Treatment

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What interventions are available for complex users of several drugs within the prison system; and where they are located.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: A comprehensive framework is in place to address the wide-ranging needs of drug misusers in custody: clinical services (detoxification and/or maintenance prescribing programmes), available in all local and remand prisons; CARATs (counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare services), available in all prisons; and drug rehabilitation programmes, 116 intensive drug-rehabilitation programmes running in 103 establishments, listed in the table attached below.
	
		
			  
			 Acklington Frankland Norwich 
			 Altcourse Full Sutton Nottingham 
			 Ashwell Garth Onley 
			 Aylesbury Gartree Parc 
			 Bedford Glen Parva Parkhurst 
			 Birmingham Gloucester Pentonville 
			 Blakenhurst Guys Marsh Portland 
			 Blundeston Haverigg Preston 
			 Bristol Highdown Ranby 
			 Brixton Highpoint Reading 
			 Bullingdon Hindley Risley 
			 Bullwood Hall Hollesley Bay Rochester 
			 Camp Hill Holloway Send 
			 Canterbury Holme House Stafford 
			 Cardiff Hull Stocken 
			 Castington Kingston Stoke Heath 
			 Channings Wood Kirkham Styal 
			 Chelmsford Lancaster Farms Swaleside 
			 Coldingley Lancaster Castle Swansea 
			 Cookham Wood Leeds Swinfen Hall 
			 Dartmoor Leicester The Mount 
			 Deerbolt Lewes The Verne 
			 Doncaster Leyhill Thorn Cross 
			 Dorchester Lincoln Wakefield 
			 Drake Hall Lindholme Wandsworth 
			 Durham Littlehay Wayland 
			 Eastwood Park Liverpool Wealstun 
			 Edmunds Hill Long Lartin Wellingborough 
			 Elmley Low Newton. Whitemoor 
			 Erlestoke Maidstone Winchester 
			 Everthorpe Manchester Woodhill 
			 Exeter Moorland closed Wormwood Scrubbs 
			 Featherstone New Hall Wymott 
			 Ford North Sea Camp  
			 Forest Bank Northallerton

Questions for Written Answer

Lord Tyler: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will reply to the Question for Written Answer (HL1837) tabled by the Lord Tyler on 19 October 2005.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: I refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave on 9 January 2006, Official Report, col. WA 11.

Tallow

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have designated tallow as waste rather than a by-product; if so, why; and what effect the banning of this carbon-neutral fuel and its replacement by oil as a fuel in waste plants will have on United Kingdom carbon emissions; and
	What are the financial implications for farmers of their designation of tallow as waste rather than as a by-product.

Lord Bach: The Government have neither designated tallow as waste nor banned its use as a fuel. The effect of the EU Animal By-Products Regulation (ABPR) ((EC) No. 1774/2002)) is to require a range of animal by-products and substances derived from them (for example, tallow) to be disposed of as waste. Where the method of disposal is incineration or co-incineration (that is, use as a fuel), it must be carried out in compliance with the Waste Incineration Directive (WID) (2000/76/EC) which came fully into force on 28 December 2005.
	In June 2005, the Government wrote to the European Commission expressing their view that the existing requirements of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) (75/442/EEC as amended) and the Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (96/61/EC) are sufficient to ensure that the burning of waste tallow as fuel is carried out in ways which protect the environment and public and animal health. The Government called for the ABPR and the WID to be amended accordingly.
	In response, the Commission has stated that there does not appear to be sufficient justification at present for it to propose an exclusion of the burning of waste tallow from the WID. However, the Commission has also confirmed that the WID is not intended to discourage uses of waste as competitive and efficient alternative energy sources; has agreed that it is desirable that it does not have such an effect; and has initiated further analysis of the issue in the form of a study. This study should help to clarify the wider environmental and economic impacts of the current legislation.
	On 21 December 2005, the European Commission published its thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste together with a proposed revision of the WFD. The draft revised WFD contains a proposal which would enable the adoption of environmental and quality criteria for specified waste streams. Where these criteria are met, the effect would be to deem that the recovery of the specified waste had been completed and that it had ceased to be waste. The Commission's thematic strategy proposes that, subject to the outcome of the study mentioned above, the waste streams addressed by this system should include the use of tallow as a fuel.
	I recognise that recent announcements by the European Commission have raised the possibility that this legal position might change in the future. My understanding is that the Commission's study of the environmental impacts of burning tallow will report in the second half of 2006. If the outcome of this study were favourable to the burning of waste tallow as fuel without having to meet the requirements of the WID, then this could lead to a change in the relevant legislation although it is suggested that this is unlikely to occur before 2009. I must also stress that such an outcome is by no means a foregone conclusion.
	It is therefore for individual businesses to make a commercial decision whether to upgrade their plant to meet the requirements of the ABPR and the WID or to burn an alternative fuel until it is clearer whether the law is likely to be changed.

Tax Contributions: Wales

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the current tax contribution from the region of West Wales and the Valleys.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: ONS publishes estimates of income tax, council taxes and vehicle taxes paid by households in West Wales and the Valleys. The link to the website and table is www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme–economy/Results–Tables–Values.xls.
	Data for "D.5 Current taxes on income, wealth etc" can be found in table 2:8. No corresponding information is available on taxes paid by organisations or on other taxes paid by households.

Tax Credits

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the number of positive awards for the different elements of (a) child tax credit, for example child element, and (b) working tax credit, for example childcare, for families by income level in the United Kingdom.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested can be found in table 6.1 "Number of in-work families with awards: ranges of incomes used to taper awards", of the HMRC publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics December 2005, which is also available on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm.

Tax Credits

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the cost to Government of positive awards for the different elements of (a) child tax credit, for example child element, and (b) working tax credit, for example childcare, for families by income level in the United Kingdom.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Entitlement is based on adding various elements of awards, then reducing total according to income. Any allocation of the reduction between elements would be arbitrary. Therefore the information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the number of people paying income tax who also receive positive child tax credit awards in the United Kingdom as either individuals or as part of a couple; and
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the number of people paying income tax who also receive positive working tax credit awards in the United Kingdom as either individuals or as part of a couple.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested is not available.

Urban Regeneration: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What funding was provided from the Londonderry Regeneration Initiative in 2005; to which groups and organisations this money was provided; and for what purpose.

Lord Rooker: The Londonderry Regeneration Initiative programme closed on 31 March 2004. However, payments are still being made on projects appraised before that date. The table below details funding provided from the Londonderry Regeneration Initiative in 2005, to which groups and organisations money was provided and for what reason.
	
		
			 Name ofOrganisation/Group Purpose of funding Amount of fundingprovided £k 
			 Churches Trust Feasibility Study 7 
			 Foyle Women's Aid Agency on DomesticViolence 1.3 
			 Walled CityPartnership Operational Costs 6 
			 Triax Taskforce Salaries 1.5 
			 Tullyally DistrictDevelopment Group Rent and Overheads 4.3 
			 Older People NorthWest Whyte House Rebuild 25.9 
			 Waterside Area Partnership Salaries 15 
			 Waterside Area Partnership Travel 0.3 
			 Fountain AreaPartnership Insurance 2.4 
			 Walled CityPartnership Operational Costs 0.1 
			 Waterside AreaPartnership Running Costs 0.5 
			 Waterside AreaPartnership Overheads 7.7 
			 Waterside AreaPartnership Running Costs/Salaries 17.3 
			 Mencap FamilyAdviser Salaries 4.8 
			 Total  94.1

Vehicles: Insurance Certificates

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a vehicle that has been impounded for lack of insurance may be released where there is a certificate of motor insurance that is valid only for the day in question.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The requirement for insurance is that a particular person's use of a vehicle is insured, not that the vehicle itself is. A constable can seize a vehicle from someone who cannot prove his use is so insured and whom the constable reasonably believes to be using the vehicle without insurance. The owner or registered keeper of a seized vehicle is entitled to reclaim it if he pays the prescribed removal and storage fees and if he, or a person he nominates, produces a valid driving licence and a valid certificate of insurance covering his, or his nominee's, use of the vehicle. The legislation makes no further provision as to the insurance certificate.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 124) concerning Waterways Ireland work at Portrunny, how the work was advertised for tender; how many bidders applied; who was short-listed; who was successful; and why.

Lord Rooker: I understand from Waterways Ireland that the main work items at Portrunny were carried out by Waterways Ireland's own direct labour employees. Quotations were sought from a range of local suppliers for the provision of materials. Two items of specialist work were advertised for tender.
	A tender for the fabrication and installation of specialist floating jetties was placed in the Irish Independent, Irish Times, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News on 29 July 2004 with a closing date of 16 September 2004. At the same time a notice was also published on the e-tender website, the Waterways Ireland website and the Official Journal of the European Union. Three tenders were received. All three tenders complied with the specification and the tender was awarded to the lowest competitive tenderer, Inland Coastal and Marina Systems.
	A tender for the construction of a service block by an appropriate building contractor was placed in the Nenagh Guardian, Roscommon Champion, Irish Times and Belfast Telegraph on 7 April 2005. At the same time a notice was also published on the e-tender website and the Waterways Ireland website. At the tender closing date no tenders had been received. Four contractors who had satisfactorily carried out similar types of works for the local county council were then invited to submit tenders by 26 May 2005. One submitted a tender. As there were no other bids the contract was awarded to the sole tenderer: Dervin Construction.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 123) concerning the bulk purchase of chocolate for the staff of Waterways Ireland, whether approval was sought from the sponsoring departments.

Lord Rooker: Waterways Ireland did not seek approval to this purchase from the sponsoring departments.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 January (WA 123) concerning property owned by Waterways Ireland, what plans they have for the property at 53 Percy Place, Dublin.

Lord Rooker: Waterways Ireland plans to dispose of the property in accordance with the provisions of its financial memorandum. This will require Waterways Ireland to identify a specific project to which it would intend to apply the proceeds of the sale and to obtain, in advance, the consent of the sponsoring departments and the two finance departments to that application.